First of all hello to every body this is my first post as I am a new member.

I was diagnosed with CUTS in both my left and right elbows in April of 2008 but began feeling symptoms a year earlier. I had sugery on my first arm in september of 2008 and the second in january of 2009. My numbness was sever in my sleep, waking up multiple times a night almost everynight of the week ( scary when you live alone and sleep face down!). Pain was aprox a 6-7 and fluctuated.

After surgery numbness went away and pain began to. Then when I stopped PT the came back worse. Now it can shoot from a 3-4 to 8-9, as I am always in some kind of pain, with very little use during the day. I am unable to work because of this yet I am still trying to find a job that doesnt use my arms (????). I am also on vicodin (just started the 10s) and complain that I have to take two to three at a time and the doctor just ups the dose which makes me high, but nerves are still in pain. I also take gabapentin 300mg and they also do little. Both of my doctors say i should get another sugery.

Ive got too many questions to answer... Number one, what jobs are out there for people with CUTS in BOTH ARMS!!! Workers Comp. and Disability ended payments months ago. And I have a lawsuit but that will take forever. WHAT MEDICINE WORKS!?!?!?! I am afraid I will lose my kidney and i am 27. I need all the advice I can get from doctors and the experienced. I can also answer questions for anyone new to the situation.

Thank You All in Advance... I really need this help. Wish I was in this forum 3yrs ago

Hi Reese, welcome to the site. Sorry to hear about your problems, you certainly got a nasty case of CuTS. What type of surgeries did you have? Who are you suing, the surgeon?

Obviously you cannot keep that pace of drugs or you'll eventually become a junkie and ruin your stomach in the process, as you said. So instead of trying to find a strong enough medication, you just need to get your arm fixed (I know, easier said than done, as I also have experienced).

First off, find a doctor that you can trust. Your next course of action depends on what type of surgeries you've already had. If just decompression, then you still have the good option of transposition surgery. However, if your ulnar nerve has already been moved, then you have to concentrate on fixing whatever went wrong in your prior surgeries.

As for a job that doesn't require your arms, management comes to mind. Though it may be challenging to find such a job at your young age. Do you have any particular expertise?

Good luck and take care.

Hey Reese,

Wow, sorry to hear about that...sounds like the path I am about to embark on (bilateral w/severe to moderate Ulnar damage in both). You may need to find a better Attorney, for one thing. It seems you are disabled and should have some entitlement - of course that may depend on the state you live in. I have my Attorney waiting for me to file my Workers Comp claim - should be with in the next 2 weeks, not about to get hosed by the company or the great State of CA!